On October 5, 1992, from the rostrum of the 47th Session of the UN General Assembly I proposedthe formation of an interstate dialogue platform on the Asian continent for the purpose of elaborating on confidence building measures in different spheres of cooperation.

Today, two decades later, CICA has become an efficient forum of multilateral diplomacy and united 24 states which occupy more than 90% of the territory of Asia, half the world’s population.

Let me congratulate you on the coming twentieth anniversary of CICA and thank all the participants for the continued support and invaluable contribution to ensuring a higher efficiency of our forum.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Colossal work has been done and serious results have been achieved during the years-to-date.

First, CICA has united the major part of Asian states which represent different cultures, civilizations, and development models. Three Summits and three Ministerial Meetings have been held.

Second, the basic documents which created political and legal foundation for cooperation within the CICA framework have been elaborated and adopted.

Third, the institutionalization stage of the Forum has been completed. The Secretariat and working bodies are functioning successfully.

Fourth, concepts and plans of actions on all directions of CICA activity have been adopted.

Fifth, the establishment of a process for enhancing economic cooperation is ongoing. The “green light” to the establishment of the Business Council has been given and the CICA Business Forums are being held regularly.

Sixth, ties with international and regional organizations and forums have been established.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In 2010 Kazakhstan passed the Chairmanship mandate in CICA to the Republic of Turkey, which will perform this mission until 2014.

During past years CICA has considerably expanded its geography. Viet Nam, Bahrain, and Cambodia have becomes new members. Bangladesh and Philippine became Observers.

We are grateful to the Turkish side for its significant contribution into the development and strengthening of CICA as well as for raising its profile in the international arena.

Kazakhstan welcomes the intention of the People’s Republic of China to assume the mission of chairing CICA for the period of 2014-2016.

I would like to stress that China possesses unique historic and cultural experience for promoting a complex process of building trust and development of Asian cooperation.

I am confident that the Chairmanship of PRC will considerably fuel the strengthening and further development of CICA and will provide progress of the concept of indivisible cooperative security in Asia through multilateral dialogue, consideration of mutual interests and aspiration to the achievement of consensus.

Dear participants,

The Asian continent is turning into the principal platform of global international relations of the XXI century, both by its economic potential and the degree of its influence on world policy.

Even today the countries of this region produce in the aggregate more than 57 % of the world GDP.

At the same time, unfortunately, unsolved interstate problems related to territorial disputes and contradictions are being intensified in Asia.

Upon that, the Asian region is a zone of the largest concentration of states possessing nuclear weapons and extensively increasing their nuclear potentials.

The rapid development of Asian countries is accompanied by aggravation of existing conflicts and leads to increase of level of distrust and geopolitical rivalry.

It is obvious that it will be difficult to achieve considerable progress in solving the global tasks of security without strengthening trust between Asian countries.

In this regard, it is necessary to use to the utmost potential of the Forum for the joint adoption of decisions on issues of security and cooperation in Asia.

DearLadies and Gentlemen,

Kazakhstan is one of the leaders of the nuclear-free world movement.

We made a historic contribution to this process by closing the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and refraining from nuclear weapons forever.

We call upon all states to adopt the Universal Declaration of a Nuclear-free World.

We understand it takes time to resolve this comprehensive issue. But this process needs to be started for the salvation of mankind.

The new initiative of Kazakhstan was brought forward at the Global Nuclear Security Summits in Washington, DC and Seoul and the establishment of IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Bank has generated possible developments.

Also, at present, within the framework of the international project Abolish Testing: Our Mission "ATOM” initiated by our republic, any person of the Earth can oppose nuclear weapons by signing an online petition to the National Governments of the world.

Peace building without nuclear weapons is our most important goal.

We also believe that the issue of the complete elimination of North Korea's Nuclear Program should be solved within the framework of the six-party talks.

As for the Iran's Nuclear Program, I would like to emphasize again that the solution for this problem is possible only through diplomatic channels.

We are holding the present Forum at a critical time for the planet. The global transformation of the world order has started.

Serious upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa are spectacular examples of that.

Kazakhstan has repeatedly made statements about supporting the efforts aimed at peaceful settlement of the crisis in Syria.

We are convinced that the future of the country is solely in the hands of the Syrian people and, therefore, the parties should sit down at the negotiating table.

One of the most urgent tasks of our Forum is the implementation of a set of measures aimed at resolving the problems of Afghanistan.

During its chairmanship of the OSCE, Kazakhstan made serious efforts to normalize the situation in the country.

Provision of all possible assistance to Afghanistan is being continued.

We educate Afghan youth in Kazakh Universities, supply humanitarian aid, and provide financing of construction of social facilities.

The expansion of transport infrastructure for full involvement of Afghanistan into the system of regional transportation is being worked out.

Also, the work with partners on strengthening the fight against drug production and drug trafficking is improving within the framework of international structures.

Dear participants and guests,

Expert communities are noting more often that it is time for major reforms in the world economy as it is at high risk of a new wave of crisis.

Kazakhstan calls to radically expand the number of participants in search of global anti-crisis solutions.

At my initiative, the G-Global communication platform was established to achieve this goal.

The deepening of partnership in the transport sphere has significant prospects.

Kazakhstan, as a strong supporter of the Central Asian integration, will be the largest transit and logistics hub in the region, a "bridge" between Europe and Asia.

Dear participants,

Various multilateral and trans-regional associations function in the Asia-Pacific region.

However, in contrast to Europe, with its developed institutions in the field of security, Asia does not have a continent-wide system, like the OSCE.

In this regard, the CICA is acquiring particular significance and demand as an institutional instrument for maintaining security and cooperation in the region.

A political and legal basis for an Asian security system has been laid out in the Declaration of Principles, the Almaty Act, and the CICA Catalogue of CBMs.

A consolidated vision of the CICA Member States on key issues of security in the world and the region has been developed.

All these developments point to the fact that the Conference has the necessary potential for transformation into the organization.

It is in this context that all CICA Members should work together in the coming years.

I hope that we will come with definite results for the establishment of the Organization by the Fourth CICA Summit.

The status of the Head of the CICA Secretariat from the Executive Director to the Secretary General should be raised by this term.

I propose to consider the establishment of the CICA Standing Committee and introduce relevant changes in the existing Rules of Procedure.

It is also necessary to continue to develop cooperation between CICA and OSCE, which could transform into the establishment of a common platform for Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security.

Even more so, similar proposals from the OSCE have been received for cooperation with the CICA.

DearLadies and Gentlemen,

Today, as Asia goes through rapid development, we need a universal and efficient institute of security and cooperation even more than before.

In this context, CICA should occupy a worthy place in new global architecture of security.

I am convinced that there won’t be any unsolved problems in Asia if we employ efficient interaction and creative trust.

Understanding of this brings hope and strengthens belief in a promising future of our subcontinent and the whole planet.